Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Karmøy

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $935 a month against $2,721 in Karmøy, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Karmøy
Learn more

Karmøy Living Index

Jump to prices

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Karmøy

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Karmøy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Karmøy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $2,721 in Karmøy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Karmøy $2,721

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $4,116 in Karmøy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Karmøy $4,116

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $5,510 in Karmøy, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Karmøy $5,510

Chiang Mai is about 66% cheaper than Karmøy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chiang Mai sits 31% below the global median, while Karmøy is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿71.6

$21.58 NOK 203

-90.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿624

$108 NOK 1,010

-82.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿188

$16.18 NOK 152

-65.39%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿55.8

$5.40 NOK 50.7

-69.26%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ฿21.69

$4.29 NOK 40.33

-84.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.22

$3.25 NOK 30.51

-90.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿77.9

$12.04 NOK 113

-80.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿123

$10.56 NOK 99.2

-65.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿67.6

$2.57 NOK 24.19

-21.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.21

$3.66 NOK 34.39

-61.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.67

$3.96 NOK 37.23

-64.90%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.4

$5.05 NOK 47.42

-53.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿554

$13.40 NOK 126

23.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿89.5

$16.11 NOK 151

-83.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿302

$31.83 NOK 299

-71.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.4

$3.42 NOK 32.14

-29.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿34.91

$2.67 NOK 25.13

-61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿55.6

$3.60 NOK 33.84

-53.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$5.05 NOK 47.42

-69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.50

$2.57 NOK 24.13

-51.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.44

$2.97 NOK 27.92

-63.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.54

$3.07 NOK 28.86

-75.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.24

$2.42 NOK 22.79

-78.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿138

$17.96 NOK 169

-77.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿601

$16.70 NOK 157

7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.46 NOK 32.50

-53.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿94.6

$4.31 NOK 40.52

-34.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.33

$4.68 NOK 44.02

-80.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,773

$86.0 NOK 809

-38.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.45

$12.26 NOK 115

-90.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.75

$1.83 NOK 17.21

-90.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$72.7 NOK 683

-97.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.38

$2.41 NOK 22.62

-39.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K ฿704.5K

$49.9K NOK 468.8K

-57.87%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿889.1K

$44.5K NOK 418.2K

-40.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.6 ฿2,098

$277 NOK 2,601

-77.39%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.60 ฿389

$33.72 NOK 317

-65.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿681

$55.9 NOK 525

-63.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,270

$49.75 NOK 468

-23.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿124

$37.27 NOK 350

-90.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿218

$17.37 NOK 163

-62.52%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$727 ฿24.4K

$241 NOK 2,267

201.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.7K

$13.2K NOK 124.4K

25.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,795

$103 NOK 965

-47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿832

$57.5 NOK 540

-56.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,031

$130 NOK 1,219

-30.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,413

$163 NOK 1,530

-55.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.1K

$1,262 NOK 11.9K

-61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.4K

$1,041 NOK 9,789

-70.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.5K

$2,042 NOK 19.2K

-48.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.1K

$1,709 NOK 16.1K

-61.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.1K

$6,491 NOK 61.0K

-62.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿53.9K

$4,250 NOK 39.9K

-62.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$4,008 NOK 37.7K

-85.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.94

12.75%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Karmøy: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Karmøy

$1K 38.3% 236% $731

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Karmøy

$502 18.4% 112% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Karmøy

$204 7.5% 88% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Karmøy

$366 13.5% 288% $272

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Karmøy

$397 14.6% 419% $321

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Karmøy

$126 4.6% 115% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Karmøy

$84 3.1% 66% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $1,262 in Karmøy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karmøy are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $107 in Karmøy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $502 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇳🇴 Karmøy

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

20:12 8:12 PM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

43,404

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NOK = 10.64 USD

100 NOK = 9.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.4 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.56 NOK (100 NOK = 9.47 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Karmøy 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Karmøy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Karmøy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karmøy costs about 191% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $4,082 in Karmøy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chiang Mai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $481 there versus $1,262 in Karmøy.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $241 in Karmøy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in Karmøy, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $935 in Chiang Mai and $2,721 in Karmøy. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $935 in Chiang Mai to $2,721 in Karmøy. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Karmøy makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.